Him & I

I Loved Her First

How could that beautiful woman with you
Be the same freckle faced kid that I knew
The one that I read all those fairy tales to
And tucked into bed all those nights
And I knew the first time I saw you with her
It was only a matter of time
I loved her first
I held her first
And a place in my heart will always be hers
From the first breath she breathed
When she first smiled at me
I knew the love of a father runs deep
And I prayed that she'd find you some day
But it's still hard to give her away
I loved her first
——I Loved Her First, Heartland

March 6, 2019

"And you'll be at the salon promptly at 11:00 a.m. tomorrow, right?" Jackie prodded.

"I got it, Jackie," Cait said, fighting the urge to roll her eyes.  "I'll be there.  My dad will be there."

"Now that I've got your list for the gift bags, I'll put a sample together and you can check it out when you're back in a couple of weeks," Jackie told her.  "And don't forget that Grayson has his fitting then.  Now, we need to talk about your hair and makeup.  I've got some pictures that I think you should look at.  Can you stop in tonight?"

Cait resisted the urge to throw her phone.  "I can't," she sighed.  "I have my brother staying with me and Grayson has a game at 8:00.  Can't you just bring them tomorrow?"

"I suppose," Jackie frowned.  "But there are some other things we should discuss.  Musical selections.  Toasts.  Sequence of events at the reception.  Gifts for your attendants.  Favors.  I've got a whole list."

Should have just eloped, Cait thought to herself.  Coulda gotten married in Vegas last summer. 

"Are you even listening to me?" Jackie's annoyed voice snapped Cait's attention back to the conversation. 

"Jackie, I've gotta go," Cait sighed.  "Someone just walked into my office," she lied.  "We can talk after the fitting tomorrow.  You'll have my attention for as long as you need it.  You and Ramon.  I promise."

"Cait, you've gotta make some decisions here," Jackie lectured.

If only she knew the decisions I have to make.  "I know and I will.  Tomorrow, I swear.  Why don't you send me a list of topics and I'll make sure I've thought about them.  And after the fitting, my father is going to pick up my brother and you can kidnap me for a few hours, okay?"  she promised.

"I'm holding you to this," Jackie huffed.

"I'd expect nothing less," Cait sighed. 

*****

"Why do you look like you're about to lose your, um, crap?" Connor asked Cait when she picked him up from soccer practice. She'd been reviewing the list from Jackie.

"Just a little stressed," she sighed. "Wedding stuff." At least that was a distraction from all the other stress in her life.

"Why would you stress about that?" he snorted, as the car took them toward midtown and Bryant Park. "As long as you and Grayson are actually married at the end of it, isn't that all that matters?"

"Of course that's all that matters," Cait told him. "But I'd like the wedding to actually be nice. To be a reflection of Grayson and I. Of our relationship."